Vacation
by SWWoman
Summary: Finch sends John and Joss out of town on a romantic weekend getaway while he and Fusco work on the latest number, but the case turns out to be much more complex than anyone anticipated.
1. Chapter 1 - Funnel

**As usual, I don't own any of these characters!**

* * *

**Chapter 1 – Funnel**

Finch limped through the door of his favorite diner and paused, scanning the room for his "family". He spotted them in the corner booth, away from the windows. He smiled a bit and moved towards them.

Detective Lionel Fusco, Detective Joss Carter, her son Taylor and,of course, John Reese, all looked up as he approached and slid into the booth next to Fusco. "Did you order yet?" He asked, noting that they all had coffee in front of them.

"Nope," John said. "We were waiting for you. We've only been here a few minutes anyway."

The waitress, who knew them well by now, brought Finch his tea almost before he was settled in his seat. They placed their orders and she left.

"Do we have a new number?" Reese asked, getting right down to business.

"Yes, a simple one ,it seems. A Mr Angelo Morton owes his bookie a lot of money, and the bookie is getting impatient. He sent a few threatening emails."

Reese smiled. "Sounds simple enough, I should have this wrapped up by lunch."

"Actually Mr Reese, I have a better suggestion. When was the last time you had a vacation?"

John looked startled. He honestly could not remember the last time he had a true vacation. Probably not since he'd joined the CIA. He arched an eyebrow at Finch, "Why?"

"This is a simple case, the weekend is coming up, and if I recall correctly, Josselyn has the weekend off?" He paused there and threw a look in Carter's direction.

She nodded. "You want me to take this one while John takes a break?"

"No, I want you to take a vacation with John while Lionel and I take care of it."

Fusco nodded, "I know bookies, this should be right up my alley. Piece of cake."

Joss sighed. "Harold, Lionel, that's really nice of you, but what will I do with Taylor? My mom is down south visiting relatives and it's too late to ask any of his friends to take him for the weekend."

"Don't worry about Taylor, Detective. He can stay with me," Finch said.

Joss looked doubtful, but then Taylor spoke up. "Mom, it will be fine. I have a Trig test on Tuesday, so I was going to have to spend some time with Finch reviewing the chapter this weekend anyway."

Joss glanced over at John, he gave her his usual smirk and shrugged, which Joss knew meant: 'I had nothing to do with this'.

For his part, John suspected that Taylor, Finch and Fusco had already discussed it amongst themselves and arranged the whole thing. He knew a funnel when he saw one, but it was a welcome one. The idea of getting away for a couple of days alone with Joss was very appealing.

"Wellllll", Joss said, "I guess that'll be OK." She looked sternly at Taylor. "Curfew will be strictly observed, and what Harold says goes with no argument from you, young man."

Taylor nodded, "Don't worry mom, I'll behave. Besides, I just got a new video game and Finch and I've been dying to play."

Finch nodded his agreement. "I find analyzing video game algorithms very relaxing."

"OK, I guess we can leave when I get off work tonight." Joss smiled. The idea of an uninterrupted weekend alone with John appealed to her every bit as much as it did to John.

"Oh, you have today off too, Detective." Harold was almost giggling. Fusco was smiling into his coffee, and Taylor was not even bothering to hide his grin.

_Yep_, John thought, _We've been funneled_.

Joss crossed her arms and glared at Finch, Fusco and Taylor. She had pretty much reached the same conclusion as John. "Funny, I don't recall taking today off," she said, in that perfectly neutral tone of voice that they all knew meant; they had better be careful what they said next.

"Must have slipped your mind, Detective. If you check your department's time card system you will see that you asked for, and were granted, today off last month."

"You hacked my TIMECARD?" Joss hissed. John choked on his coffee. _Oh, Finch_, he thought_, even I can't save you now!_

Finch was trying to look contrite, but his eyes were dancing. "I just wanted you and John to have as much time as possible."

Joss did a face palm. John hid his smile behind his hand.

"Harold, as well planned as this operation is, I'm guessing you already made reservations for us?" John asked, trying his best not to giggle and exasperate his lover even more than she already was.

Finch cheerfully pulled a folded piece of paper from his coat pocket and handed it over to Reese. "Pleasant Valley Inn, a charming little Bed and Breakfast, in a charming little town about three hours away. I've stayed there before myself and found it wonderfully relaxing. The town even has a restaurant with 3 Michelin stars; you have reservations there for 7 o'clock, so take nice clothes. That means a tie, Mr. Reese."

Reese raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for the tip, Finch," he said, wryly.

Finch was quite delighted with how well this was going. When Finch had first approached Reese about working with the numbers, he had viewed Reese was a useful tool, and not much more. He had searched long and hard for a person with Reese's skills who still retained a touch of human empathy, and it turned out to be a long and difficult search, so he did appreciate Reese's uniqueness in that regard. But make no mistake, Reese had been chosen because he fit the mission, and for no other reason.

What Finch had not counted on was becoming friends with Reese, and coming to care about him as a person and not just as an employee. So a secondary mission sprang into existence, the mission to heal the damaged John Reese as much as he could be healed. The numbers were still of prime importance, that would never change, but Harold wanted John be whole and happy again. Harold had seen fleeting glimpses of the man John used to be before the CIA had gotten a hold of him, and Harold liked what he had seen. Reese had been a good man, and still was under the surface. Harold was determined to do what he could to bring that good man back into the light.

Detective Joss Carter and her son Taylor had become key pieces in his plan to repair John's soul. At first, Harold had been disturbed by John's obsession with Carter. John had followed her around like a big, protective dog , despite the fact that she had been determined to arrest him and to stop their vigilante activities. Carter was smart and tenacious, and Finch had been terrified that she would destroy their operation. She had come close several times, and she had nearly gotten John killed by unwittingly luring him into a CIA trap.

However, since the CIA's betrayal, Joss had done a 180 degree turn and become a trusted and valuable ally. She had saved John's life on more than one occasion, and she had become a dear friend.

The personal relationship between Joss and John eventually had bloomed into a full-fledged love affair. She challenged him at every turn, in a way that Finch never could, but she saw that same good man in John that Finch did, and trusted and loved him with all her heart. This turned out to be exactly what John needed, someone to love and be loved by, and the healing of John Reese's soul had accelerated. John had found his anchor again in Joss, and Finch was extremely grateful to her for everything she did for John. For his part, Finch did what he could to smooth the road of the relationship for them.

Trouble was, John and Joss could not have a normal relationship, John's past made that impossible for them. They barely acknowledged each other in public because they didn't ever know who might be watching. Finch looked across table at them, they were sitting next to each other, but there was a couple of inches of separation between them, there was no touching, no affectionate glances, nothing to indicate that only an hour ago they'd woken up together in Joss's bed. Anyone observing them who did not know them would never guess they loved each other deeply.

This motivated Finch to arrange the vacation for his friends; he wanted to give them some time to be normal. There would be no CIA or Elias or any other enemies in the small out-of-the-way town where they were going. They could relax and walk down the street holding hands. They could go out to dinner and snuggle in a back booth. John could kiss Joss on a street corner. They could do what they wanted, when they wanted and no one would bother them, for a couple of days at least.

Enlisting the aid of Taylor and Lionel, Harold had put his scheme into action. The numbers had been fairly quiet lately, and the bookie case looked simple, so now was a perfect time to send them out of town on a relaxing weekend getaway. Once Lionel and Taylor signed onto the plan, all it took was a quick phone call to the B&B where he had many happy memories, and a ten minute hack to the NYPD timecard system and they were all set.

Their food arrived and they ate in mostly silence. Taylor inhaled his food as usual, and gave his mom a quick hug, telling her to have a good time, before he left for school. Joss watched him wistfully.

"You've done a good job with him, Joss," Fusco assured her.

Joss sighed. "They just grow up so fast. Used to be if I was going away for a couple of days, you would have to peel him off me, now it's just like any other day."

"Isn't independence the goal of every good parent?" Finch asked but didn't give her a chance to respond before continuing. "I'll take good care of him for you Detective. Now you two had better get going." Finch handed Reese a set of keys. "I thought you would like to take the Cayenne. I'll get a ride back to the Library with Lionel."


	2. Chapter 2 - Complications

**Chapter 2 - Complications**

A couple of hours later, Finch and Fusco pulled up in front of the storefront that served as the bookie's base of operations. Finch was driving his town car with Fusco in the passenger seat. "This will only take a minute. I'll go in there flash my badge, let the bookie know if anything happens to Morton I'll hold him responsible, and then we can pick Taylor up from school," Fusco said.

Finch nodded. He was actually looking forward to a fairly quiet little weekend himself. He enjoyed Taylor's company, and he would probably have time to read while Taylor did homework; he had several books in his 'To Be Read' pile that he had been looking forward to.

Fusco got out of the car, and disappeared inside the bookie's place.

Finch had been waiting for only a few minutes when he noticed a car pull up across the street and a couple of men jump out. He quickly activated his phone. "Detective, there are a couple of very unfriendly men out front, you had better get out of there."

And the unfriendly men proved him right by whipping out some very large guns and blasting away at the little storefront.

Finch peeled out, "I'll pick you up out back". He guided the Lincoln down the alley and Fusco and the bookie dove in the car as soon as he squealed to a stop. Finch jammed on the accelerator and was almost out of the alley when the two gunmen came racing out the back door and started firing at the retreating car.

A few minutes later, they were in the parking garage attached to Finch's nearest property, and Finch and Fusco were staring morosely at a bullet hole in the trunk of the car.

Fusco reached out and tentatively touched the hole. "It can be fixed, Finch", he tried to reassure the reclusive billionaire.

"It has to be fixed before Mr Reese gets back Sunday night, or he will see it. If he sees it, he will think we can't handle cases without him, and he will never go on vacation again. If Mr Reese knows we got shot at on this seemly simple case, Detective Carter will know too, and she will never trust us with Taylor again. They will both be quite angry with us."

Fusco sighed, as usual Finch was right. Fusco really didn't want to face either John or Joss with this failure. Fusco was scared of John, but he was absolutely terrified of Joss, she was the meaner of the two, especially where Taylor was concerned.

"Better call your auto detailer and start throwing your money around. I'll take Weasel Boy over there up to the safe house."

"Fine, I'll call Tony and then I'm going back to the library to look into Mr Morton some more. There seems to be more to him than meets the eye."

"Ya think?" Fusco snorted, grabbing the scrawny bookie by the scruff of the neck and dragging him towards the stairs.

Finch sighed and texted Taylor to meet him at the Library after school. He then placed a call to the his auto detailer, who fortunately, did not bat an eye when Finch asked him to repair a bullet hole, no questions asked, by Sunday night. Tony knew Finch would pay handsomely for the job, and, to tell the truth, he really didn't want to spend the evening with his in-laws anyway. He was more than happy to hop on the subway and pick up the car.

* * *

At that moment, Joss and John were pulling up in front of a charming little B&B in the historical district of a charming little town. It was a three story colonial that looked like it had been added on to a few times. John judged that the original part of the house probably dated back to before the Revolution. It had been very well maintained, the paint and brick work were pristine, and the front garden was a color riot of flowering plants.

Joss squealed with delight, "It's gorgeous!" John looked over at her and smiled, he had to admit that Finch had made an excellent choice. If Joss was happy, he was too.

John parked the car in front of the gate and grabbed the overnight bag and the garment bag containing Joss's dress and his suit out of the back, and followed Joss up to the house. A slightly plump, middle aged woman whose hair was defiantly going gray met them at the door.

"You must be the Robinsons! How lovely to meet you. Come in and let's get you settled. I'm Bonnie Clark, my husband Tom and I own this place."

"I'm Josselyn and this is John," Joss introduced them.

Joss signed them in, and they were shown to their room on the second floor. They had a large corner room with an enormous four poster bed and a dresser that looked like it came over on the Mayflower. It had a small private bath, and a lovely view of the mountains behind the town. Bonnie, with a wink, pointed out the room next door was unoccupied since it was the off season and the inn was not full.

John hung the garment bag in the armoire and turned around to see Joss relaxing on the bed. "So," she purred, "we have a few hours before our dinner reservations. What do you think we should do?" John crossed the room in two steps and joined her on the bed.


	3. Chapter 3 - Another Player

**Chapter 3 – Another Player**

Finch looked up as Taylor burst in the computer room of the library. Bear flung himself happily at the teenager, and then flopped over onto his back, begging for a belly rub.

"What's up? I thought we were going out to the house on Long Island for the weekend? Where's Fusco?" Taylor asked, giving Bear the hoped-for belly rub.

"I'm afraid, Taylor, that there have been some complications in the case, we might not be able to make it to Long Island tonight."

"Oh man, this doesn't mean you will have to call mom and John, does it?" Taylor looked wide eyed.

"No, I am not going to call them, we can handle this!" Finch barked a bit too loudly. They would be settled in their room at the Inn by now; he was not going to spoil this weekend for them.

Fusco walked in a few minutes later. "Find anything?" he asked.

"Where's the bookie?"

"I wouldn't let him take bets in your fancy apartment, and so he insisted he go to his aunt's place. I dumped him there a few minutes ago, He should be safe."

"Fine, I need you here anyway. It seems Angelo Morton is an accountant for one Bob Day. I recognized the name from one of our previous cases, he's a drug dealer, and he appears to be using Morton's talent to launder money."

"Let me guess, he doesn't like having his pet, number jockey threatened?" Fusco growled.

"It would seem so," Finch agreed.

"Where can I find Day?"

"He runs his operation out of his bodega, here's the address". Finch scribbled the address on a piece of paper and passed it over to Fusco.

Fusco grabbed one of the high powered cameras from the cabinet, and a set of car keys from the board where they were kept. "I'm taking the old Honda and having a look. Back in a bit."

"Leave your phone on. I'll monitor you from here."

Fusco nodded and left. Finch turned to Taylor." Get out your textbook, we have about forty-five minutes before Fusco reaches the site."

Taylor pulled out his book. "That should be enough; I really don't need that much help. I exaggerated for mom so she would go with John."

"I thought so, but let's get this done so we don't have to worry about it."

* * *

John finished dressing for dinner and went looking for Joss. He found her standing in front of a wall of pictures in the parlor with Bonnie. John stood behind Joss with his arms around her, while he looked at the pictures with them. Bonnie was explaining that the pictures were mostly of previous guests and she was pointing out a few of them.

"Mr Payne, a dentist, unfortunate name for a dentist, don't you think? Lovely man, I could do without his wife though. This is Arturo Hernandez and his wife Estella, hardly spoke a lick of English, but they sure laughed a lot. Oh, and these are the Ropers, all they did was argue, I heard they got divorced later."

"Bonnie, who is this?" Joss pointed to a picture. John barely managed to contain his surprise we he saw it was a picture of a healthy, pre-accident Harold and Grace. They were seated on the couch that stood in the room behind them, he had his arm around her, she had her head on his shoulder and they looked incredibly happy. Joss looked up at John and John gave her a quick nod that Bonnie missed.

"Oh that's Harold and his fiancée Grace. I think he was a real estate developer, I was never really sure. He seemed to own a lot of property. She is a fabulous artist, do you read Burroughs Magazine? She does a lot of their covers. He died in a terrible accident a couple of years ago before they could get married, such a shame. They were so in love."

John gave his watch a quick glance and cheerfully said, "Sorry, we have to run Bonnie, we have reservations at Star House in a few minutes."

Bonnie smiled. "Have a good time, their pork medallions are just divine!" and bustled off. John gently pulled Joss away from the photo and towards the door of the Inn. He helped her put her wrap on, and then he grabbed her hand and held it as they started walking around the corner to the restaurant.

"John, do you know the story behind that picture?" Joss asked softly.

John nodded. "Some of it, the important parts, I guess. Before Harold was hurt, he was engaged to Grace. After he delivered the Machine to the government, people around him began dying in various accidents. Then Harold had an accident, and he realized that Grace could be next. He was declared dead so he decided for her protection to stay that way, officially. She's alive and well and living over by Washington Square Park, but she thinks he's dead, and he's been hiding from her ever since for her own protection. He even has an app on his phone that alerts him if he gets within a hundred yards of her."

Joss stopped dead in her tracks and stared at John. "My God", she gasped. "So that's what he meant this morning when he said this place had many happy memories for him, he used to bring her here."

"Apparently."

"Poor Finch".

They didn't say another word until they reached the restaurant and were seated. Their orders were taken and the drinks arrived at the table. John looked down at the table. "You know in a lot of ways, I admire Finch's strength. He had the courage to make the tough choice that I didn't."

Joss arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow at him, she was pretty sure she knew what was coming. "And what decision would that be John?" she said in a perfectly neutral tone of voice.

"I should not have dragged you and Taylor into my crazy world…"

"Oh stop with the paternalistic bullshit, John," Joss snapped before he could go any further. "You didn't do any dragging, I walked in willingly with my eyes wide open. I made my own choice, like a grown woman does. I'm not some little girl sitting around waiting for daddy to decide things for me, and you sure ain't my daddy. I'm here because I WANT to be here, not because you dragged me here. This is real life, not a _Twilight_ movie. Get over it.

"And for the record, John, I know what life is like without you and I know what life is like with you in your crazy world. I have made the choice to be with you because I much prefer life with you in it. Now give me some credit for being an adult."

John was taken aback by her tirade for a brief moment, but then he started to smile like fool. Of course she was right, she did make the choice to be a part of his world, and it was her choice and hers alone. He looked over the table at her, she was leaning forward, jaw set, eyes flashing, anger practically dripping off her, and he could not love her more than he did right at that moment.

In his previous relationships, he had picked women who let him lead, who looked up to him. Joss was quite the opposite, strong willed and combative. If you had told the young man that fell in love with Jessica that he would one day be sitting across a table from a woman who rips him a new one just about every day and he that would love every minute of it, he would have backed slowly away from you. This John, on the other hand, could hardly wait to get her back to the Inn and make love to her until she begged for mercy.

John reached over and grabbed her hand, bringing it up to his cheek. He closed his eyes as he pressed her hand against his cheek and held it there. He opened his eyes to see her sitting there with her best, 'oh really?' face on. His eyes sparkled at her.

"Do you have any idea how sexy you are when you chew me out?"

"You're insane, you know that?"

"I'm crazy for you, my dear."

That made her laugh.


	4. Chapter 4 -The Dealer

**Chapter 4 - The Dealer**

Fusco pulled up in front of the convenience store and went inside. Bob Day was standing behind the counter by the door. Fusco nodded to him as he walked in, and Day nodded back. Fusco grabbed a soda out of the fridge in back and stood by the chips like he was trying to decide what he wanted while he paired his phone with Day's.

Another customer came into the store. He purchased some cigarettes and Day handed him a paper bag from behind the counter that was too big to be a package of cigarettes. Fusco left the chips and walked over to the candy while the transaction was completed.

"Finch, the guy is definitely dealing out of the store".

"And it appears Day and Morton are inflating the profits of the store and the Laundromat down the street to cover the drug dealing. According to tax returns, that store is making three times the amount of any other store in the area, and so is the Laundromat."

"Well, let me tell you, the selection sucks, so there is no way this place is banking that much coin. I saw that Laundromat, it's locked up tight, I don't think anyone's has done a load there since Clinton banged Monica", Fusco snapped.

Fusco paid for his soda and a candy bar and returned to the car. He sat and watched the bodega for some time. Customers came and went, mostly with bags that were too big for the purchases they made. Fusco sat in the car taking pictures of all the people entering the store. If this had been a normal store, he would have said business was lousy, but for a drug running operation it was rather lively. No wonder Day was so fond of his accountant and was willing to go through such great lengths to keep him healthy. There was a lot of money to launder.

After a while, Fusco recognized two men entering the store, they were the guys who attacked the bookie's place and put the bullet hole in the trunk of the Lincoln. Looking through the camera lens he saw that Day was very unhappy to see them, and he began arguing with them. Fusco activated the microphone on Day's phone and buzzed Finch.

"Finch, can you hear this? Day is having an argument with the guys who tried to off the bookie."

"Yes, Detective. It appears that Day is refusing his hired assassins payment because the bookie survived the hit. He is insisting they finish the job."

Fusco snorted. "Amateurs, you don't get paid until the job is done."

"Yes, it would appear that they are common street punks, not real hit men. It seems Mr Day went cut rate for his hit."

"Swell, this just keeps getting better and better." Fusco rang off. He watched the store for a couple of more hours until Day closed early for a store.

* * *

After dinner, John suggested that they take a walk around the historical district. He was simply enjoying the fact that he could be seen with his beloved Joss in public and not have to worry about who was watching for once.

John kept his arm wrapped tightly around Joss's waist as they strolled around the town square. As they reached the corner, John stopped, cupped Joss's face in his hands and kissed her gently. Joss smiled up at him.

"You're really enjoying this aren't you?" she asked.

John pulled her against is chest. "Yes, yes I am. I finally get to show the world just how much you mean to me. For once we don't have to hide."

Joss snuggled into John's chest. "I've never been happier than I am with you, John. Even if we can't kiss on the street corners of New York."

"Don't you get tired of hiding?"

"Oh yeah, I'm not going to deny that the cloak and dagger stuff gets old sometimes. But it's a price I'm willing to pay to be with you".

John rested his cheek on top of her head, "You're not going to trade me in for a nice safe attorney?"

"If you are referring to Douglas Cline*, no, no and HELL no. And if you love me you will never bring him up again."

John buried his face in her hair while he laughed.

"John, if you are done getting your fill of PDAs, let's go back to the Inn. I have some very private displays I want to show you".

* * *

*Carter's disastrous date with Attorney Douglas Cline is detailed in my previous story The Best Worst Date Ever.


	5. Chapter 5 - More Complications

**Once again, thanks to Maddsgirl75 for the Beta!**

* * *

**Chapter 5 – More Complications**

The next morning, Fusco was back in front of Day's convenience store after checking on the bookie at his aunt's.

The bookie, a scrawny, weasely-looking man named Porter, was quite upset over the monkey wrench that had been thrown into his previously profitable enterprise. Morton owed him several thousand and had responded to demands for payment with laughter, then threats. Porter had countered with a few threats of his own since he was not about to let his street cred take a hit. He was also not willing to give up on the money that Morton owed him; if he let Morton slide, he pointed out to Fusco, word would get out and no one would ever pay him again.

Much as Fusco hated to admit it, he saw Porter's point. He lived in a dog eat dog world and any show of weakness would be exploited like Anna Nicole Smith.

Fusco watched a few more drug deals go down, and then called Finch. "I'm in position outside of Day's place, he's busy today."

"Did you talk to the bookie? Will he back off?"

"No dice, Finch. If he does, he loses face on the streets. If that happens, he is out of business for good."

"I see your point, Detective."

"So what do we do? Morton won't pay and Porter won't back off."

"I think the best thing to do is disrupt Day's operations. I've checked Morton's accounts, he does have the money to pay Porter easily, if he loses his protector, he will have to pay up."

"OK, I'll gather some evidence and pass it off to some guys I know in the local precinct. We get a dealer off the streets, Porter gets paid."

"Alright, Taylor and I are still at the library. You can join us here for lunch if you like."

"Sure, this shouldn't take long, a few more pictures, and we are done."

Fusco aimed the camera at the store as a couple more men walked up. As soon as he got a good look at the men, he started swearing as only an experienced street cop could. Then he called Finch.

"Scratch that plan, Finch, we got a problem."

* * *

John was laying on his side on the bed, head propped up on one arm, watching Joss sleep. She looked so relaxed and so gorgeous. John loved watching her sleep.

He remembered some very dark days, some days when he thought the pain of failing Jessica would never end, days when he thought he would be better off dead. He never once thought he would be happy again. Now he had the most incredible woman in the world in his bed, he had a family and friends, he had a job that gave him purpose.

John leaned down and kissed Joss's bare shoulder that was poking out from underneath the covers. She stirred but did not waken. John smiled and pushed a lock of hair off her cheek and smoothed it back with the rest of her hair. He nuzzled her ear gently, and nibbled on her ear lobe. He was finally rewarded when she opened her eyes and smiled up at him.

He rolled over on to his back, pulling her on top of him. He ran his hands down her back with a feather light touch and fondled her ass while kissing her deeply. She returned his kisses just as passionately. Slowly they picked up the pace, and what had been lazy and slow become faster and more frenzied.

John rolled over again so that Joss was on the bottom, and slowly kissed and licked his way down her neck and shoulders until he reached her breasts. He sucked and bit her nipple until she was whimpering his name.

John slid his tongue down her body until he reached her belly button. He ran his tongue around the rim several times while Joss moaned happily.

He slid down further until his head was between her legs. He bit and sucked on the inside of her thighs until her legs were trembling.

"John, please," Joss begged.

John raised his head and looked at her with a smile on his face. "Please what, my love?" He whispered to her.

"Please…" was all she was capable of saying.

John gave her what she wanted until she screamed his name.

John moved up to kiss her, pulling her into his arms tenderly. Joss could taste herself on his mouth and it excited her. She deepened the kiss and John responded by holding her tighter. The pace of the kiss continued to increase until John broke the kiss. He flipped Joss over so she was on her hands and knees, and plunged into her. Joss held onto the bedpost for dear life while John slammed into her from behind until they both climaxed almost at the exact same moment.

John rolled over onto his side and pulled Joss over to him so that her back was against his chest, spooning her. He nuzzled her ear and neck, planting a kiss on the tender spot just below her ear. "I love you, Joss", he murmured into her neck. "I love you too", Joss replied with a sigh of contentment as she snuggled back into his body.

* * *

"They're HR? Day is under HR protection? Are you sure?" Finch exclaimed.

"Yeah, I'm sure. They were part of the bunch that was hanging around outside the apartment where we stashed the Mafia Dons the night Taylor got kidnapped."

"So we can't involve the local precinct, nor can we reveal your involvement without jeopardizing your HR investigation with Mr Reese."

"Yup, that about sums it up. Maybe I should just torch the place."

"I'm not sure I approve of arson. We might damage surrounding businesses."

"We'll keep that option in our back pocket for now. Maybe we should just wait for Suitman and Wonder Girl to get back and let them handle it."

"Do you really want to admit to them that we couldn't handle a simple case without them?"

"No I guess not, we'll never hear the end of it" Fusco grumbled. Fusco really did want Reese and Carter to respect him. He had made big strides in the direction, and he was not about to undo all that hard work.

* * *

John and Joss walked along the path next to the lake, each with a large tote bag slung over their shoulder, holding hands. They were the only people on this side of the body of water that they could see. They found a lovely grassy spot that was straight out of a postcard and opened their tote bags to set up the delicious picnic lunch that Bonnie had packed for them.

They spread the blanket on the ground and started opening food containers and sampling their contents. It was a lovely, warm day, but not too warm. The food was excellent, and tasted even better in the fresh air.

After they were done eating, John stretched out on the blanket and put his head in Joss's lap while she read her book. He dozed lightly, one hand intertwined with one of hers and resting on his chest. John could not remember the last time he felt so comfortable sleeping in what the Army would have called an exposed position. He supposed this is what true relaxation felt like; it had been so long that he had forgotten. It felt good; very, very good.

He opened his eyes slightly and looked up at Joss through his dark eyelashes. The sun made her dark glossy hair shine and she had a slight smile on her lips as she read. At that moment, John swore he was the happiest man on earth.

* * *

Fusco stormed into the Library in a foul mood. He could not believe how badly this weekend was going. What should have been a simple case had turned into a big, hulking nightmare. He was embarrassed by his failure to bring the case to a successful conclusion and he was not looking forward to having to confess his failure to two people whose good opinion really mattered to him.

He stomped into the kitchen area to find Finch and Taylor eating their lunch; sandwiches from the deli around the corner. Finch took one look at the detective and accurately assessed his mood. He wordlessly pushed Fusco's sandwich, a Rueben, his favorite, towards him hoping a good meal would improve the policeman's outlook.

Food usually did help improve Fusco's mood, at least for a short period of time. By the time he had finished his sandwich and fed the last bite to Bear, his mood had improved from homicidal to merely sour. Finch felt it was time to discuss their options.

"It seems to me that we have a couple different courses of action we can take", Finch began. Fusco and Taylor both turned their attention to the computer billionaire. "There is the DEA, we could direct their attention to Day and his operation. Our second option would be the IRS, I can prove that Day's tax records for his store and Laundromat are false."

"You can forget the DEA, Finch," Fusco grumbled, "Day's operation is too small for them to care. They focus on the big smuggling operations."

"OK, then we focus on the IRS."

"Do you know how slow they operate? They won't get this finished up by the time John and Joss get back."

I'm afraid that can't be helped, Detective. Sometimes this happens with numbers, they look small and easy, but with a second look, they become much more complex."

"We blow this, and we can forget getting John and Joss to take a vacation ever again."

Finch sighed. Fusco was right.

Taylor piped up, "What would Reese do?"

Finch and Fusco both looked at the teen with puzzled expressions.

Taylor continued, "What would John do in this situation?"

Fusco sighed again. "He would probably march in there and put a gun to Day's knee. I can't do that without pissing off HR, and you and Harold are not scary enough or good enough with a gun to pull it off."

"OK," Taylor said, "but you guys possess other skills you can use, right?"

"Kid's got a point," Fusco said. "Finch, I'll bet you can bypass the alarm with your eyes closed, and one hand tied behind your back."

Finch nodded, "I've done it many times for Mr. Reese."

"So tonight we break in, and steal Day's stash of drugs. That will take Day out of the picture, for a while at least, and Morton will have to pay that weasel Porter. We can still give your evidence to the IRS, and they can shut Day down in the long term."

Finch thought about it for a minute then nodded, "Alright, tonight we do a little breaking and entering."


	6. Chapter 6 - Unleash the Hounds

**Thanks for all the great reviews! I am so glad the everyone is enjoying this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Unleash the Hounds**

"Which lamp do you like better?"

John Reese sighed and rolled his eyes. "Joss, honey, I really don't care. Whichever you like is fine with me."

John had been happily trailing in Joss's wake as she explored the various antique shops in the historic center of town. He got few opportunities to do "normal" things like this with her, and he found that helping her look for a lamp, to replace one that had been broken when one of Elias's goons had broken into the apartment, was surprisingly enjoyable. He had even found a Bowie knife in a case over against the wall that was most definitely going home with him. He thought he could get used to being normal.

Joss shot him A Look. "I can't decide, give me a hand here!"

John smiled and raised an eyebrow at her. "So get them both. Problem solved."

"I can't afford both," she sighed.

"I can."

"You mean Finch can."

"No, I mean I can. Finch is a generous employer and I have few expenses. I'll buy them both for you."

"Oh John, you don't have to do that!" Joss said, but her eyes were sparkling with happiness.

John made a mock long-suffering face, "I do if I ever want to get out of here and eat dinner."

Joss glared at him.

John threw up his hands in a gesture of surrender, "I'm kidding! Look, I don't get many opportunities to spoil you, let me get these for you."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure."

Joss stood on her toes and kissed him. He smiled down at her, "So, I buy you something, I get a kiss?"

"Oh, you'll get more than that, later." Joss said, her voice heavy with promise.

"Shopping as foreplay? What else can I buy you?"

Joss punched him in the arm.

* * *

Shortly after 1am Finch closed the junction box, and called Fusco, "The alarm has been neutralized, Detective."

"Thanks, I'm going in. You and Taylor keep a look out for me."

Finch returned to the car to keep an eye on the street, and Taylor stationed himself at the end of the alleyway. Fusco, using Reese's ring of bump keys, started working on the back door of Day's store.

He had no sooner started with the first key when he heard growling from inside and a heavy body slammed against the door so hard that it startled Fusco. He staggered backwards and went down on his butt. The noise was so loud that Taylor peeked around the corner from his post at the end of the alley.

"Lionel, you OK?" He called softly.

"Yeah, but Day locked one big ass dog in there! I don't think Finch can bypass THAT!" Fusco hissed.

Taylor called Finch, "There's a very large dog locked in the store. Do you know a vet? Maybe we can get some tranquilizers?"

Finch repressed a sudden desire to bang his head against the steering wheel. "We haven't even had occasion to take Bear to a doctor yet. There is no one I can call at this hour without having to answer some questions that I can't answer."

"Then how are we going to get past the dog?"

"I think I have an idea. Return to car, we are going shopping."

One of the great things about a city the size of New York is that you could get anything you want at any hour of the day or night if you know where to go. Within an hour, Finch, Fusco and Taylor had purchased a small steak and a large dog kennel.

They set the kennel up a few feet from the back door of the shop and Finch handed Taylor the steak. "I'll watch the street, when it's clear, I'll give the signal. Fusco will open the door and Taylor will make sure the dog sees the meat, then throw it into the kennel and shut the door behind him."

Finch toddled off down the alley and after several minutes, Fusco heard, "OK now!" in his earpiece. He nodded to Taylor, Taylor nodded back and Fusco slowly unlocked the office door.

Both the cop and the teen, used to the well trained and well-mannered Bear, were completely unprepared for the explosive power of the half wild dog that Day used as a night guard. As soon as Fusco had the door unlocked, the dog threw himself against the door, pushing it wide open and smashing Fusco between the door and the wall of the building. To Fusco, watching the dog fly by heading for Taylor, it looked like someone had managed to cross a pit bull with Jaws; all he saw was a massive set of teeth heading for the teenager.

Taylor had never seen a vicious dog quite like this and his eyes opened wide in pure terror. But he had the presence of mind to throw the steak into the kennel. Fortunately the dog followed the meat into the cage; unfortunately the animal hit the back wall of the kennel with such force that the door was wrenched from Taylor's hand and he was unable to slam the door shut behind the angry beast. The dog grabbed the steak, turned, and burst out of the kennel. The animal's beady yellow eyes fixed on Taylor and Taylor was suddenly aware that he was in deep trouble. He ran for the open door, closely followed by the snarling dog.

The door led into a small office, and the dog was right on his tail, so Taylor leaped on the desk, bounced off the filing cabinet and managed to leap over the dog and out the door. Fusco slammed the door shut behind him, locking the dog back into the office. They both leaned their backs against the door, wide-eyed and panting heavily while the canine threw himself against the door snarling.

"That's not a dog, that's a carnivorous HORSE!" Taylor managed to squeak out.

Finch came running down the alley as fast as his damaged leg would let him. "What happened? Is everyone alright?"

"Plan didn't work, that dog is the size of Secretariat!" Fusco panted.

"Oh dear, I was not expecting that."

"Finch, that thing could swallow Bear in one gulp!" Taylor gasped.

"So we have failed."

"No shit, Finch," wheezed Fusco. "We should just be glad we don't have to explain to Joss and John how we got their son eaten by the Hound of the Baskervilles in there!"

"Lionel, you've read Sherlock Holmes?" Finch asked, somewhat startled. All he had ever seen Fusco read was the sports section.

"Yeah, when I was a kid, that's why I wanted to be a detective in the first place." Fusco seemed to be a bit embarrassed by the confession.

"I don't think I have read that book," Taylor said

"There are several copies back at the library", Finch said. "I suggest we retire there for the night and we can return in the morning."

"I need something to drink," Taylor whined. "My mouth is dry!"

* * *

**One more chapter to go!**


	7. Chapter 7 - Vacation's Over

**Once again, I need to thank my wonderful Beta reader, Maddsgirl75!**

**Also thanks to everyone who has been reviewing and or following this story, I cannot tell you how grateful I am found this community. You people rule!**

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**Chapter 7 – Vacation's Over**

John was standing in the shower when he heard Joss enter behind him. Then her arms were encircling him from behind and her head was resting against his back. He smiled and put his hands over hers.

"Ready to head back to reality today?" He asked over the running water

"We don't have to head back until after lunch", Joss murmured against his back.

Her hands started roaming over his stomach, and she gently nuzzled and kissed his back. John closed his eyes and moaned as his body started to respond to her touch. Her hands moved up to play with his nipples and he moaned again. He felt her smile against his skin and her hand roamed further down to touch his growing erection.

"Joss", he gapsed.

"Shhhh, hold still", she said, nipping his back, and rubbing her bare breasts against his skin.

He had to brace one arm against the shower wall keep from dropping to his knees as Joss stroked him. He loved the feel of her warm soft hands on him and he allowed himself to get lost in the pleasurable sensations she was making him feel. His eyes rolled back into his head and he groaned her name as she lovingly stroked him until his back arched, his head dropped back and he emptied himself in her hand.

He had to lean his head briefly against the wall to recover, and then he turned and grabbed his lover, his mouth crashing down on hers. Her arms came up around his shoulders and her hands came to rest in the hair at the back of his head while he plundered her mouth.

He moved to her ear, grabbing the lobe between his teeth and tugging on it. Joss moaned, as he knew she would. He smiled against her neck, and then began biting and sucking his way to her shoulder. He nipped especially hard on her shoulder leaving a mark. Joss groaned again.

John pinned her in the corner of the shower with his body. He lifted one of her legs and she hooked it behind his thigh. His hands moved down and grabbed her shapely read end, lifting her up against his body. Her other leg hooked behind his hips so he was now nestled against her. In one swift motion he was buried in her. He began thrusting into her wildly. Joss arched her back into his thrusts and suddenly her walls clamped down around him and she gasped, "Oh John!" as her orgasm gripped her body. John followed her over the edge a few thrusts later.

He held her gently until she was able to get her feet under her. She cupped his face in her hands and gently kissed him. "Good morning." She smiled, her eyes shining at her lover.

* * *

Finch, Fusco, Taylor and Bear pulled up across the street from Day's store.

"You sure about this Finch?

"Yes, I am. We are out of options. Mr. Reese and Detective Carter will be home this afternoon. If I go in there and threaten Day with an IRS investigation, I believe I can convince him to back off and have Morton pay Porter.

"You really think if you go in there and threaten Day with turning him over to the IRS he won't just shoot you?" Fusco asked doubtfully.

"It's a calculated risk. I don't think Day will risk a murder in his place of business," Finch explained.

Fusco remained unconvinced. "At this point I think we are better off just waiting for Reese to get back and kneecap the guy." He did not share Finch's certainty that Day would not risk a shooting in his store, especially with HR protection.

"If we do that, Mr Reese and Detective Carter will never trust us with a case again."

"Beats getting killed," Fusco snapped.

Taylor piped up, "I have to vote with Lionel on this, Harold. I don't like it, this is one bad dude."

Bear, sensing the unhappy mood in the car whined. "See, even Bear thinks this is bad idea," Taylor said.

Just then, Fusco looked across the street and did a double take when he saw two men run out of the store.

"Hey, aren't those the punks Day stiffed on the hit on Porter?"

And the next instant, the store exploded into flames.

* * *

John loaded the luggage into the back of the SUV while Joss gave Bonnie a good bye hug.

"Thanks for everything, Bonnie. I haven't seen John this relaxed, well, probably since I have known him."

"It was a joy having you here, Joss," Bonnie chirped. "I know you both have dangerous jobs and I'm very glad I was able to make you forget everything for a few days. I hope you can make it back soon, and bring that son of yours next time."

"We'll try. Good bye!" And Joss bounded down the step towards the car, while John gave Bonnie a cheerful wave before getting into the car. Bonnie stood on the porch and waved vigorously until they were out of sight.

Joss turned to John, "I don't know how we're going to thank Finch for this weekend."

Without taking his eyes off the road, John reached over, grabbed her hand and brought it up to his lips. "I suppose we could try to find a first edition of A Tale of Two Cities or something."

"Doesn't he already have like six of them?" Joss asked.

John laughed.

* * *

Finch, Fusco, Taylor and Bear stood across the street from the store, watching it burn. Animal control was on the scene and it was taking three officers to wrestle the dog from the back office into their truck. Bear watched with great interest and Taylor shuddered when he saw the size of the beast in the daylight.

"Just so you know," Fusco said, "This is not my proudest moment".

"It's OK, Fusco," Taylor said, "No one but us will ever know. No way am I telling my mom or John about this."

"That does seem to be the wisest course of action, Taylor," Finch agreed. He checked his watch. "We have a few hours before Mr. Reese and Detective Carter return. I suggest that we go pick up the Lincoln from Tony and return to the Carter apartment for some gaming. They will never know how we really spent the weekend."

Later that day, Finch and Taylor were busily blasting aliens, Fusco was reading the sports section and Bear was dozing in a corner when Joss and John walked through the door. Taylor paused the game to leap up and give his mom and then John a big hug, while Bear solicited ear scratches from the returnees.

"Was your weekend enjoyable?" Finch asked.

Joss walked over and gave Finch a peck on the cheek. "It was absolutely wonderful, thank you."

Finch smiled at her. "It was my pleasure".

"How was the case?" John asked.

Fusco grunted. "All taken care of, told you it would be easy," while Finch and Taylor kept perfectly straight faces. John nodded in satisfaction, and carried the luggage into the bedroom.

Joss noticed the book that was on the floor next to her son. "You're reading the _Hound the of the Baskervilles_? That's a good book!"

Fusco, Finch and Taylor all shared a sheepish grin.

**The End**


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